Toy bowling game



May 6, 1969 c. PAYNE, JR

TOY BOWLING GAME Filed Oct. 5, 1966 "'mulll i umimv I INVENTOR. CALVIN L. PA YNE JR.

BY /M 5M ATTORNEY May 6, 1969 c. L. PAYNE, JR-

TOY BOWLING GAME Filed 001,. 3, 1966 INVENTOR.

CALVIN L. PAYNE JR. BY

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice Patented May 6, 1969 US. Cl. 273-41 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The application discloses a bowling game having an outer shell of U shaped configuration. A stationary plate is riveted to the upper leg of the shell. Between the stationary plate and shell is disposed a slide plate used to cam bowling pins hinged to the stationary plate into upright position. A cam surface pin extension angularly oriented to the axis of each pin is provided for this purpose. A marker is connected to the top of the cam surface appearing" above the shell. The cam surface extends through apertures in the two plates with each aperture of the stationary plate containing a biasing tongue which bears on a depending detent extension of the cam surface and extending through a hole in the Each detent is adapted to engage a shoulder precisely vertically underneath the horizontal hinge axis of the pin so as to maintain said pin in upright position. When the detent is budged away from said shoulder the tongue causes the pin to collapse.

This invention relates to games and toys and, in particular, to toy devices providing target areas designed to receive in some manner movable pieces or propelled objects in simulation of a recognized sport such as baseball, football, hockey or the like.

The device: produced according to the present inven tion is a simulated bowling game the playing object of which is to knock down pins with a ball, the pins being pivotally suppprted over the runway and on which the ball is rolledigby the player. Special provision is made for simultaneously setting up the pins after the players finish their individual turns. The game device is remarkably simple in construction having in addition to the ten pivotal pins merely two main functional parts, a stationary hinge plate for the pins and a push plate for causing the knocked down pins to assume an upright condition. The push plate is moved by an ordinary cam lever against a biasing element formed out of the hinge plate itself.

One object of the invention is to provide a bowling game of improved design and construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game device simulative of the sport of bowling and the modern paraphernalia such as is used to set up the pins in that sport.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be appreciated on reading the following detailed description of one embodiment thereof which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the bowling game device;

FIG. 2 is a side view of same;

FIG. 3 is a broken sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, the bowling game 10 has an outer metal shell 12 for a housing formed in the general shape of a U and disposed with its legs nearly parallel to the surface on which the device is supported. Riveted to the underside of the top leg is hinge plate 14 fabricated of polypropylene. In triangular array there are formed in the plate 14, ten resilient tongue elements 16 projecting from the front edge of as many apertures 18 in the plate. Aside each aperture are disposed hinge components 19 which =receive lateral projections atop bowling pins 20 and underneath their upper marker portions 21 connected thereto.

Disposed between the outer shell 12 and the stationary plate 14 is a push plate 22, made of the material sold under the trademark Masonite, which is provided with a plurality of elongated slots 24 through which extend rivets 26 connecting the hinge plate to the 'shell. The plate 22 also has formed therein rectangular shaped apertures 25 the front edges 25a 'of which on rearward movement of the plate impinge on upper cam surfaces 28 intermediate the markers 21 and the pins 20, the surfaces 28 being angularly oriented thereto to permit by camming action the aperture edges 25 to raise the pins simultaneously to an upright condition on rearward movement of the push plate. Depending vertically from the pivotal axis of the pins in this position are cam detents 29. Engagement between a shoulder 16a on the upper surface of each of the elastic tongue elements 16 and a bot-tom edge of each cam detent hold the pins upright. When this engagement is broken as by a ball in play,- the pin thus disengaged is posititiely forced into its knockdown position due to the biasing engagement of the resilient tongue acting on the forward surface of the cam detent, which is then no longer' vertical to the pivot axis.

The push plate 22 is manually urged rearwardly by means of cam levers 26 the rear cam surfaces of which are received in a low friction bevelled groove formed in cap 33 arranged on the front edge of the push plate. The levers 26 are pivoted on tubular pivotflpins (not shown) projecting upwardly from plate 14 and which receive rivets providedtb secure forward casing 35 to the metal shell and the plate 14. A cutout 37 is made in the rear edge of the hinge plate 14 and extending from a lateral edge in the cutout is spring element 38 which bears on the rear edge of the push plate 22 to urge it forwardly against its travel caused by the rocking of the levers 26. In operation the push plate is returned by the spring to its normal forward position after it is used to set up the pins after each play.

Various modifications of the invention may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope and principle of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bowling game construction comprising an apertured hinge plate and an apertured push plate slidably mounted on said hinge plate, a biasing tongue downwardly and rearwardly disposed below the apertures of the hinge plate, pin means including simulated bowling pins hinged to "and depending from'said hinge -plate, said means each including a cam surface extending through the plate apertures and being angularly oriented to the portion of each pin means below the plates and adapted to be engaged by the forward edge of the respective apertures in said push plate, a detent depending from each cam surface and below the hinge axis, a shoulder on each tongue substantially vertically beneath each hinge axis and adapted to engage said detent for holding the simulated pins in upright position, said tongues having a portion rearwardly of said shoulder serving as a second cam surface to cause the pins to collapse when said detent is moved out of engagement with said shoulder.

2. A bowling game construction as defined in claim 1,'-wherein a marker portion'extends above each cam surface parallel with the simulated pin below the plates and out of the plane therewith.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 730,987 6/1903 Talbert 273-41 2,535,973 12/1950 Voges 27341 X 2,722,422 11/1955 Breitenstein 27341 X 10 3,171,655 3/1965 Glass et a1 273-41 ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner.

- U.S. C1. X.R. 

